Travel Insurance

Fury as airline staff ‘tie up’ passenger

A shocking image of a passenger in tears after being tied up by an airline has emerged, which has prompted fury and questioning throughout the travel industry.

Maria Saliagas, who has multiple sclerosis, was travelling with her husband to Amsterdam with Delta Airlines. When the couple landed, they realised Deltas was unable to provide a wheelchair with straps that would allow them to travel safely.

News.com.au reports instead of this, the crew allegedly used a dirty airline blanket to tie Maria to the chair, in an experience that left her bruised and battered.

Her son Nathan detailed the treatment in a Facebook post.

“The Delta employee thought it would be appropriate to tie my mother with someone else’s dirty blanket, in such a way it has left bruise marks on her arms,” Nathan wrote.

“When she started crying, she was told to ‘shut the f**k up’ or she will be ‘left there’. This highly inhumane and disgusting treatment by Delta Airlines is unacceptable and a need for change.”

Delta responded in a statement to Atlanta’s WSB-TV.

“We regret the perception our service has left on these customers,” the statement read.

“We have reached out to them, not only to resolve their concerns, but also to ensure that their return flight exceeds expectations.”